The workers’ union hopes that adding employees at the Staten Island warehouse to a protest started by delivery drivers will increase pressure on Amazon.According to The New York Times, the workers’ union is hoping to increase pressure on Amazon by adding employees at the Staten Island warehouse to a protest that was started by delivery drivers. This marks an escalation in the labor campaign, which began at seven Amazon delivery hubs on Thursday. The protest at the Staten Island warehouse, known as JFK8, began at midnight on Saturday morning and was joined by New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, later in the morning. With over 5,000 workers, JFK8 has the largest group of employees seeking representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, making it a potential source of leverage for the union in their efforts to pressure Amazon to bargain with drivers and other organized workers.
In a statement, Connor Spence, president of the local chapter representing workers at JFK8, stated that Amazon is putting consumers’ holiday season at risk in order to make an extra profit. He also emphasized that Amazon workers are standing up to demand respect from the corporation. However, unlike the drivers that the Teamsters have attempted to unionize at delivery hubs, the workers at JFK8 are employed directly by Amazon rather than through contractors. This gives them a stronger legal footing to challenge the company.
Despite this, union leaders at JFK8 have faced challenges in maintaining support from workers since they voted to unionize in 2022. As a result, only a few dozen workers were participating in the protest on Saturday morning. Some workers stated that they had been scheduled to work and used unpaid time off to join the protest, while others were not scheduled to work at all. This raises questions about the impact the protest will have on Amazon’s operations during the crucial holiday season. Similar questions have been raised about the Teamsters-led walkouts at delivery hubs in New York, Georgia, Illinois, and California that began on Thursday.
Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for Amazon, stated that the protest had not affected operations at the Staten Island warehouse. Meanwhile, Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was seen walking with Teamsters on the picket line at an Amazon warehouse in City of Industry, California on Friday. The Teamsters have been picketing at various Amazon warehouses, including the one in City of Industry, with one of their chants being “Help us out, drop your route,” directed at delivery drivers entering and exiting the site.
Source:Read More